3 Early Cubs Trade Deadline Targets

2. Jason Adam, RP- Tampa Bay Rays

Five weeks into the MLB season, the Tampa Bay Rays are one game below .500 at 18-18. Typically, having a .500 record is neither good nor bad. However, in the Rays case, the AL East is one of the more competitive divisions in the majors, so a 17-18 record puts them in fourth place. While there's plenty of time for the Rays to gain ground in the division, there's a real possibility they stay between 3rd and 5th place. If they end up there at the deadline, they could very well trade some veteran players.

One veteran who could be on the chopping block is 32-year-old relief pitcher Jason Adam. If the Cubs traded for Adam, it wouldn't be his first time with the organization. Adam was a reliever for the Cubs during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. In 2020, Adam had a 3.29 ERA in 13.2 innings pitched with 8 walks and 21 strikeouts. In 2021, Adam earned himself a 5.91 ERA in 10.2 innings pitched with 6 walks and 19 strikeouts. The Cubs decided to move on from Adam after two rough seasons.

After leaving Chicago, Adam spent the last two seasons in Tampa Bay, dominating his competition, earning a sub-3.00 ERA in both 2022 and 2023. In both seasons, Adam pitched 50+ innings, which is a big increase from what he pitched in his first stint with the Cubs. A return to the friendly confines would allow Adam to give fans better performances to remember him by.